17 hours and 30 minutes.
That’s the new record now held by Qatar Airways for the longest flight in the world.
The Boeing 777 departed from Doha, Qatar on Sunday and landed in Auckland, New Zealand on Monday after flying 9,031 miles (14,535 kilometers).
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker, who traveled on board the inaugural flight, said the new Auckland service was “an important milestone” in the airline’s global expansion.
The previous record was held by Gulf rival Emirates. Its Dubai to Auckland service is now the world’s second longest. The first flight on the 8,823-mile route last year took 17 hours 15 minutes.
Other airlines are also adding ultra long haul flights to their timetables.
Travelers will soon be able to fly from Australia to Europe without stopping after Qantas announced in December the first direct passenger route between the two continents.
The Perth-London service will cover 9,009 miles (14,498 kilometers) when it begins March 2018.